The Family Secret is a fantastic cosy mystery with some wonderful historical detail. I’ve always been a huge fan of books set in WW2 and the author does a great job of evoking the atmosphere of that period. I felt transported back to that time with the vivid descriptions helping the reader to picture the era in their mind.

The main characters are all strong females which is always a hit with me and I enjoyed reading about them. They were very clever, together woman who fought against the sexism that existed at that time in order to break out of the more traditional roles woman usually took. They were all extremely likeable characters that I felt completely supportive of and wanted to keep reading to find out what happens to them.

The story is very gripping and well plotted with the story unfolding at a great pace . It read a bit like a classic murder story and I liked that it managed to keep me guessing until the end. This is the second book in the series and while it could be read as a standalone it is probably best to read them in order as I think you will understand more about the characters.

Huge thanks to Rachel from Rachel’s Random resources for inviting me onto the blog tour and to HQ Digital for my copy of this book via Netgalley which I received in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Cat Carlisle series, I haven’t read the first book but the story recaps enough to make sense of the characters so I don’t think it’s essential, although the story is well written, I felt it was lacking something and the characters didn’t really engage with me and the plot was easily worked out. I enjoyed her other series better (the Sarah Bennett mysteries)

Terry Lynn Thomas is a writer I didn’t know anything about before I started reading The Family Secret, but after devouring this absorbing and intriguing historical mystery, I have certainly added this talented writer to my list of favourite authors.

In 1940, England is in the grip of another war that shows absolutely no signs of abating. Mothers, daughters and wives have sent their menfolk off to do their duty for king and country and to fight for their future. But it is not merely on the battlefield that the effects of war can be felt. With bombs falling at an alarming rate, houses, shops and buildings are destroyed in one fell swoop and lives are in jeopardy and threatened every single minute. In London, Cat Carlisle is not impervious to danger and indeed when, after a sudden disappearance, Thomas Charles reappears with a suggestion that she leaves London behind and heads back to her hometown in Cumberland, Cat finds herself acquiescing and leaving the capital. However, little does she realise that she is about to become embroiled in tangled and dangerous web of deceit, lies…and death.

When she discovers that her childhood friend Beth Hargreaves is accused of murder, Cat is determined to do whatever it takes to prove her innocence. As she begins to dig deep and investigate this perplexing mystery, she uncovers a shocking and twisted scheme that involves the entire village that puts Cat’s life in danger. An enemy with everything to lose is determined to keep Cat from discovering the truth and they will go to any lengths to silence her – even murder. But they hadn’t counted on Cat Carlisle…

Will Cat manage to exonerate her friend and find the real culprit? Or will she end up paying the ultimate price in her quest to uncover the truth?

The Family Secret is a beguiling, evocative and beautifully written mystery rich in atmosphere, intrigue and suspense. Terry Lynn Thomas is a wonderful writer who brings the past to colourful and vivid life and plunges the reader into a dangerous world that will keep them engrossed from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Cat Carlisle and admired her intelligence, inquisitive mind and determination to bring criminals to justice.

A stylish, suspenseful and meticulously researched novel full of outstanding period detail and nail-biting mystery, The Family Secret is a fabulous tale I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It was a bit difficult to figure the characters and their relationships as I'd not read the first book in the series.

Cat Carlisle has returned to her hometown in 1940's England to escape the bombing of London. There she finds that her best friend from childhood is suspected in a murder investigation. As she works on clearing her friend she finds that the entire village is involved in a cover-up.

An absorbing historical thriller!

The Family Secret is a cosy, historical mystery set during WWII - one of my favourite eras to read about, especially in fiction. So, it should come as no surprise that I thoroughly lapped up every page of this book.The heroine, Cat Carlisle is a strong-minded redhead with a warm and caring streak. But, never think that Cat will lurk on the sidelines when there's a mystery to be solved or when a friend is highlighted as a suspect.When a former friend and colleague, Thomas Charles, asks her to move back to her hometown to help him with his next book - and, of course, to escape the bombings that are expected in London - she does so for two reasons. Firstly, she is looking forward to being around Thomas again (to whom she seems scared to confess her feelings), but also because Annie (her ward) is scared of bombs and air raid sirens.What Cat doesn't know is that Thomas is going there for reasons other than his next book. His real job is to investigate a murder. He can't tell Cat about this though, because she'll want to get get involved - and that could really mess things up. Cat is known for digging a little too deeply and for causing all sorts of drama - even when she thinks she has done an altogether amazing job!But, as I mentioned, Cat Carlisle is not going to take a back seat for anyone or anything. There may be trouble ahead!As the stakes intensify, other characters come into their own, bringing tension, drama, a touch of unrequited love, a lot of envy and plenty of vengeful desires. The twists and turns are plentiful, and the opposing viewpoints always keeps the mystery at the forefront.The Family Secret is the second book in the Cat Carlisle series, and despite not having read book one, this was an easy-to-follow story with enough information about the past to keep the reader up to speed in Cat's lifestory and, more importantly, her past behaviour and its impact.I'd definitely read more by this author in future, whether from this series or others.

This is the second book in the Cat Carlisle series. I haven’t read the first book and I have to admit, I do think I would have understood the characters and their back stories better if I had read it first. The book begins in June 1940. Thomas Charles has returned home to London at the beginning of the wartime blitz. He suggests to Cat Carlisle that she returns to her home town in Cumberland, safe from the bombs in London. When she does return home, she finds her childhood friend, Beth is suspected of murder and set about trying to prove her innocence.

Due to not knowing the previous storyline, I was initially confused over Thomas and Cat’s relationship. There are a lot of characters in the book and it did take a while to get used to who everyone was. However, once I had gotten past those first few chapters, I settled into the story and began to enjoy it. The scene was set perfectly in London and little details such as moving the statue of Eros for safety and the plywood up against the windows protecting them made the story all the more realistic. I’m sure at one point I could smell the burning from the fires as I was walking through the bombed out streets.

I did really enjoy the part of the story when Cat returns home and finds her friend accused of the murder of a local woman. The investigation that Cat begins into her friend's involvement in this death was great and I really loved how this had been written. When Thomas also begins looking into the woman’s death, the mystery and intrigue turns up a notch and I began to become really involved with the tension of it all. The book was filled with lots of twists and turns and together with the wartime setting, the story became more of a classic spy thriller than just a murder-mystery.

It was a really enjoyable read which was well researched with a great historical plot. The story kept me gripped and I loved the feeling that I was reading what felt like a classic who-dunnit! I will definitely need to go back though and read the first book in the series, so I can catch up on the back stories of all the characters and I will certainly be keeping my eyes open for the next book in the series to continue Thomas and Cat’s story!

Thomas Charles returns to Cat Carlisle’s life after months without contact, he had been shot during an investigation, the wound got infected, so he was hospitalised for some time.

Cat believes he wants her help with a book that he plans to write about historic places and wants her to take the pictures.

He asks her to accompany him to Rivenby, a small village in Cumberland, which by ‘coincidence ‘ is the village she spent her childhood in… What she doesn’t know is that Thomas has been recruited to monitor an investigation into the murder of a local woman, Win Billings.

Cat’s childhood friend has been accused of the murder and soon Thomas and Cat are investigating the same murder and things really begin heat up..

This is a classic whodunit, set in the 1940’s and reminded me of the writing of Josephine Tey, charming and yet full of tension. An absolute credit to Terry Lynn Thomas’ writing.

I really enjoyed the historical elements of the story, the fashion, food and the language which I felt brought the story to life and the characters were so well done, I really disliked Phillip…..what nasty piece of work he was. I’ll be looking out for more from this author for certain…..

Thank you to The author/publishers and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook and this is my honest, unbiased review

London. World War 2. A little detective work. All the ingredients for a great read in the historical fiction genre.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to review.

Historical fiction based in World War 2. Small town challenges and intrigue. Looking forward to more books by this author.

Terry Lynn Thomas is an author who captures your interest immediately and makes you want to keep reading until the end.
Set during the second world war Thomas Charles is working undercover as a writer and Cat Carlisle is the illustrator for his books. But secretly he is carrying out some detective work and much to his disapproval Cat does a bit of sleuthing herself which usually draws unwanted attention
A cosy mystery for a lazy Sunday.

The Family Secret is a very charming and interesting Historical Fiction. Set during WW2, one gets to read about how the London Bombings and sirens affected people psychologically. Annie, a teenager who lives with Cat, spends many a sleepless night in London. A car backfiring is enough to get her on her nerves. As she moves to the calm village, she seems to be relaxed. The evacuees from London and other major cities who are given a place to stay in the villages - the villagers can take in one family (mother and children) until the war ends.

The story also inclines towards women and their roles during the war. There's Win, a cryptographer whose help was well appreciated during WW1. Claris Broadbent, who is in charge of hosting charity events, takes care of the evacuees and whatnot. Cat Carlisle, a strong and independent woman who survives through whatever life throws in her path. Carmona, an eighteen-year-old girl who acts mature enough to understand people and their choices.

Speaking of Carmona, there were times when I wished I could warn her. She falls in love with a man who uses her to his advantage. Being with an unsupportive and overly strict mother, Carmona finds love in a man who is accused of theft and probably murder too. Thomas is torn between his lady love Cat and his job. He lies to Cat about the real reason behind asking her to go to her hometown. This does cause a bit of tension between them but love heals all wounds, isn't it?

I loved the essence of mystery in the story. Two murders had something common in them. But what could it be? Hint: it was world war 2 and Hitler was slowing gaining power, so is it possible that this had something to do with the murders? Did Win's past finally catch up?

Each and every character in the story plays a unique role. Philip Billings is a playboy and a fraud. Though his character is portrayed in a slightly negative way, I liked his role in the story. Even the constables who play a tiny role in the story bring out something new to the story. The identity of the murderer was unexpected. The last few chapters were interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat. (The readers are in for a nail-biting adventure towards the end of the story.)

Terry Lynn Thomas has done an excellent job in keeping her readers hooked on to the story. Her storytelling skills are simply perfect. I was hooked on to the story. The story is such that the ending of every chapter, the mysteries and the twists makes the reader curious. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am looking forward to reading more of Cat Carlisle mysteries in the future.

This is a on the edge of your seat read.
Roller coaster ride!! Loved it.
Definitely will be recommending to others.
Once I picked this book up I couldn’t put it down. Thank you Netgally. I will be looking for more from this talented author.

The Family Secret by Terry Lynn Thomas is a very British mystery set during WWII. When Win, a cryptologist from the Great War, is murdered, Thomas is sent to the small town to recover from a wound. His real purpose there is to work with the local investigators to learn if Win's murder had anything to do with her work during the first war. Catherine also goes presumably to get out of London with her ward and remain safe during the bombings. What Tomas and Cat find is a solicitor who is suspected of cheating his clients, a second murder, two young women who get themselves in all sorts of trouble investigating on their own, and Win's son who uses people to support his life style. Unraveling all the sordid details is an interesting read -- especially if you are fond of British stories.

(The review was submitted to Amazon and Barned & Nobles web sites.)

Maybe I should have read the first book in the Cat Carlisle series first. I was a bit lost in the first few chapters even though there was a lot of background information, just too many characters to catch up with. I did get into the story and quite enjoyed it. It painted a realistic picture of life in London and the evacuees at the beginning of the war, however, I never really got to understand Cat’s character, or exactly what Thomas’s role was.
Thank you to HQ Digital and to Netgalley for my complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read! 5***

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

The Family Secret by Terry Lynn Thomas is Historical Fiction full of mystery, suspense and thrills. Everyone has secrets to keep. This book is full of action, twists and turns. on every page. I felt a little lost at times with all the characters, but perhaps that is just me. The characters seemed very realistic in their time period. I found this book entertaining and well worth reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from netgalley.. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book.

This is the second book in the Cat Carlisle series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel, but I would suggest reading the first, if only to get to know more about the main character of the books, and what makes her tick.

I felt as if there was less focus on Cat this time, which is what made The Silent Woman such a strong read. The taking hold of her life and becoming the woman she is supposed to be, despite all of the obstacles in her way. I felt that element of Cat was missing in this story.

The cosy mystery element of the series played more of a significant role this time, perhaps to the detriment of any possible secret squirrel activities ordered by Sir Reginald and delivered by Thomas.

When the narrative switches from Thomas to Phillip I had to go back and check I was still reading the same book, because the secondary characters play just as strong a part in this story I wasn’t sure if it was still the same one.

The impending war, the fear and the changes due to the impact of this threat play a secondary role. It plays along silently in the background, as lives go on in semi-normality. People still commit crimes, fall in love, betray each other and try to carry on as if life as they know it isn’t changing forever as they go about their business.

On a side note in regards to Phillip – does a leopard change his spots? Extra strong bleach perhaps?

It’s a cosy mystery series that sometimes veers into the spy genre with plenty of memorable characters. It has a comfortable feeling to it, a pleasant read with a family secrets, snide characters and people determined to find the truth.

An engaging and entertaining historical mystery.
I liked the well researched historical background and the cast of characters, including the one I detested like Philip.
The female characters are strong and relatable, very modern and clever.
The mystery was good, with a taste of Golden Age era, and it's full of twists and turns.
It was a very good read and, even if it's the second book in series, it can be read as a stand-alone.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Recommended!
Many thanks to HQ Digital and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine.

When Thomas Charles returns to Cat Carlisle’s life after months without contact, Cat thinks that it is because he needs her help with a book that he plans to write. When he asks her to accompany him to Rivenby, a small town just outside of London, she assumes that it is a complete coincidence that this is actually her childhood village. What she doesn’t realize is that Thomas has been recruited to oversee an investigation into the murder of a local woman, Win Billings. Once Cat arrives, the mystery begins to unfold before her. Not only has her childhood best friend been accused of murdering Win but someone else approaches Cat with the possibility of another suspect. Before they know it, both Thomas and Cat are investigating the same murder and things really begin to spiral out of control.

It's been a while since I’ve read a classic whodunit, especially one that is set in 1940. I was pleasantly surprised by the building of suspense between the characters in “The Family Secret” by Terry Lynn Thomas. With every new introduction of a character, I looked for clues as to who could have been the one to kill Win Billings- believe me the list is long. I was also taken by surprise as to the additional twist in the story so early on. Eagerly, I kept reading looking for more clues.

The setting for this story was masterfully told in such a way that it seemed as if the village of Rivenby was appearing before me. The historical context that was given regarding the impending German attack was interesting to me as many novels written during this time focus solely on bringing up facts about the war as frequently as they can. But, that wasn’t the case with this novel; Terry Lynn Thomas told the story of Cat and Thomas while adding bits and pieces of information about what was going on with the war. I loved the way that the author incorporated phrases, cars, clothes and other pieces that were specific to that era.

I also would like to point out that the author did a subperb job of creating the town scoundrel, Phillip Billings. I detested him and dreaded when his character would be discussed or the chapter would be told focused on him. It takes skill to create a character that is so easily detested.

The only problem that I ran in to was that I wish I had read “The Silent Woman”, which is the first Cat Carlisle novel by Terry Lynn Thomas. I think that I likely missed out on the character development of Cat and Thomas. The first page really hit the ground running and left me thinking “wait, what? I need to know more about these two.” Fear not, I plan on picking up a copy of that novel tomorrow!

Thank you to Terry Lynn Thomas, Harper Collins Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of “The Family Secret”.